Pressure seal for aircraft



June 22, 194@ R. H. TEREPIN ETAL 2,443,751

PRESSURE SEAL FOR AIRCRAFT Filed June 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY R. H. TEREPINv El' AL PRESSURE SEAL FOR AIRCRAFT `lune 22,V 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June l, 1944 imam INVENToRs l/IZDezwjQ/.

@JHM

ATTORNEY Patented June 22, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT G HC E.

PRESSURE SEAL FR Raymond Harry Terepin and Herbert' William Derrick, Jr., Buffalo, N. Y., assig-nors to-v Curtiss- Wright Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application June-'1, 1944,. SeriaLNo. 538,244)-l 14` Claims. (Cl. 244-121) TheLl presenty invention relates to. pressure seals and.. more particularly to. improvements. in seals between relatively movable or slidable elementsoi pressurized aircraft..

Theoperationy of. aircraftat high altitudeV makes it? desirable that the compartments and.I enclosures, as.' the cabin. or cockpit,r bey pressurized tof a higher pressurev corresponding tov a lower` altitude to alleviate the physical discomfort to thefhumarry occupants. which they would otherwise be subjected. to in this reduced pressure region- The sealing ot cabins, sliding canopies, escape hatches and other closures` against internal pressures` has presented diiiiculties which have developed' intol major design problems. Variousn resilient seal-s have been employed suchasl sponge rubber, rubber tubular extrusions and the` like, but the lowered resilience oi these: materials at the lower temperaturesprevailing at high altitudes' has materially affected the sealing qualities of, most of the prior arrangements.

It is a major object of the present invention toK provide pressure sealsy for the joints or gaps between aircraft openings and elosures-,- and between relatively movable or'slidable aircrait ele.- me'n'ts inf whichy the diiie-rential pressure between the' enclosure and the outside. atmosphere: at these higher altitudes, is utilized. It is a. further object to utilize this pressure differential to assist in the sealing by permitting the use of a flexible rubber seal in these arrangementawherein the lowered resilience of the flexible material would normally be a major factor and a deterrent to its-use.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a simpler and effective seal which can be readily constructed and installed along` the edges of the openings for the closure elements 'of' aircraft and particularly along such edges which arev irregular in shape and direction. It

is a further object' toy provide such a seal which is adapted to be installed in single or continuous strips in which it is necessary to twist the. same troni` one plane` to another throughout. its length to' follow the conformation of the opening or the closure' element. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a seal in Whicl'r` the sliding friction developed between the seal-ing. elements is reduced to aminimum.

Other objects and advantages of the present `invention may become obvious to those skilled in the' art after reading the present description together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

-' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sliding aircraft 2. canopy to which the present invention. is applicable;

Fig; 2" is a similar' perspectiveA View of the sealing; elements in theirV installed relationship showing. fragmentary portions of the airplane and slidingA closure;

Fig. 3' is a detailed cross section taken along' the front edge of the canopy along the lines 3'3 of Fig. 1;.

Fig. 4' is a. detailed cross section taken at the rear of the canopy taken along the lines 0l-t of Figi;

Fig. 5 is a detailed' perspective View of a portion of the sealed joint as taken along the line 55` of Figs. 1 and 2';

Fig. 6` is a similar detailed- View taken along the lines 6 6' of Fig.. 2;

Fig. 7 is a detailed cross section looking rearwardly taken alongv the lines l-l of Fig. 2.; and

Fig.. 8` is a detail cross sectional View ci a modiied form of pressure seal.

Referring now to Fig. l there is shown a portion of the body of. an aircraft [il provided with a cockpit having a iXed windshield portion. I' and a movable canopy or enclosure l2. It. will be understood that the movable canopy shown. in the. drawings has been selected for illustrative purposes only and that the seal arrangements of .the present invention are not to be restricted thereto,..but are applicable to numerous other arrangements where pressure seals. are desirable. The Windshield portion ll. is preferably provided with transparent glass, Plem'glas, er other plastic panels Ha. and. Hb suitably supported within the Windshield framework llc and l Id. The movable canopy l2 is similarly provided' with transparent panels. or lights l-.Zd andlb supported Within the forwardr transverse frame member ld, Ythe rear member l2e.,.the intermediate frame or cam members.- Wc. and. the. longitudinal edge members lf. As may be seen fromv Fig. 2 the canopy lf2 isy of a conventional` transversely arched crosssection in the form of an inverted U or V having upwardly converging. side portionsand'. a semicircular or rounded top portion.. Ths Ligure sho-ws two continuous strip seal elements i3 and. is, attached respectively to the fixed portions of. the airplane body t! and to. the movable canopy portion t2. Obviously each stripl could be made. in a number of. butted sections but` normally with our improved construction it will be desirable to use the longest strips. possi-ble with. ay mTm-imum number of abutting or endl joints. Fig.. 1 shows the canopy in its closed or forwardposition from which itis opened by rearward movement. asindicated by the. arrows A in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Fig. 2 shows fragmentary portions of the xed windshield, fuselage and canopy with the latter in its partially opened position for purposes of clarity.

The sealing elements I3 and I4 are preferably formed of rubber or other flexible composition material. In the modication shown in Figs. 1 to '7 inclusive, these sealing elements are in the form of elongated fiat bands or strips, each being preferably of a single piece or continuous loop capable of being twisted or bent into the compoun-d curved or irregular forms shown in Fig. 2. As will be noted from this and the following detail gures, the seal element I3 is twisted and bent to be attached along the periphery or edge of the fixed portion of the windshield and cockpit coaming and is preferably supported such that it extends toward and is met by the corresponding seal element I4 carried upon the movable canopy member I 2. Each seal element is attached to its respective fixed or movable member such that substantially half of its width is xedly supported from the member and the remaining portion of its Width is unsupported and free to abut or slide against the opposing member and to be flexibly deected thereby. The two unsupported portions which so abut or contact each other form coextending lip portions, the edge and back surfaces of which are exposed to the higher internal pressure within the cockpit or body and are thereby placed into more intimate sealing contact. At the same time the adjacent or opposed faces of the sealing members where they diverge beyond the contacting lip portions are subjected to the lower atmospheric pressure which tends to assist in pulling the lip portion outwardly, and as the result of what might be termed to toggle action, into more intimate sealing contact.

Referring now to Fig, 3 there is shown the sealed joint or gap between the windshield I I and the front edge of the canopy I2. The windshield panel IIa is supported upon a frame support member IIe which is preferably an extrusion 4of general Tshape, recessed or rabbeted to receive the panel Ila and provided with a retaining frame strip IId suitably attached thereto. The canopy I2 has a front frame element I2g into which the front panel I2a is similarly rabbeted and retained by the strip I2d. The continuous sealing element I 3 is suitably attached to the stem of the T frame member Ile such that it extends at this point substantially normal to the plane of the outer surface of the panel IIa. The seal strip I4 is supported from the frame element I2g by an obtuse angled retaining strip I4a and a similar shaped strip Mb by means of the countersunk through-bolt I4c. The strip I 4 is supported such that it is obliquely disposed with respect to the curved plane of the windshield I2, and While it is normally at or straight across its width, as shown in the top forward joint in Fig. 2, its unglppgrted or lip portion is deiiected as shown in Fig. 4 shows the joint at the rear of the cockpit canopy in its closed position and from which it may be opened by rearward movement in the direction of the arrow A. The fuselage I is provided with a sheet portion Ilia and a transverse portion Ib to which the fixed seal strip I3 is substantially vertically supported by means of the retaining strip 13a. The rear of the canopy I2 comprises a frame extrusion element |271 suitably rabbeted to receive the transparent panel I 2a retained by the marginal cover strip 12e. The trailing portion of this cover strip is rcnfOmed by the inner sheet I2i attached to the frame |2h and the cover strip by means of the countersunk rivets I2:i. The seal half I4 is supported from the canopy frame member by means of the retaining strips Idd and Me and the removable countersunk bolts |40. It will be noted that the seal member I3 at the rearl joint is retained in a. 4substantially ver-tical plane or normal to the adjacent aerodynamic or exterior surface and that the movable seal member I4 is supported such that it is normally substantially parallel to this exterior surface. Due to this relationship the unsupported or lip portions meet in the closed position of the canopy and due to the differential in pressures in favor of that within the cockpit they are brought into the intimate sealing contact as shown in Fig. 4.

Figs. 5 and 6 are taken through the lateral joints between the canopy and the side portions of the cockpit coaming adjacent the rear of the canopy in its closed position and in these figures the canopy and adjacent fuselage portions have both been omitted for purposes of clarity. These two sectional views are accordingly substantially opposite and symmetrical, being taken at the point at which the adjacent sealing elements I3 and I4 cross or make a change in direction from the upper portion in which they converge and contact each other in an outward direction, to the lower or horizontal portion in which they converge inwardly toward each other. By reference to the lower portions of these figures, which may accordingly be described together, the fixed seal element I3 is supported between the obtuse angled retaining strips lh and I3c provided with suitable openings ISh by means of which they are attached to the adjacent fuselage structure. 'I'he retaining strips |317 and |30 are formed to guide the xed seal half I3 from its lower outer position at the bottom upwardly and inwardly into a position in which it is inside of the movable seal I4, at which it is supported by the retaining strips ld and I 3e. The seal element I4 is similarly supported by the formed retaining strips I4f and Mg provided with suitable holes Mh.

Fig. 7 is a detailed cross sectional view of the sliding joint along the lateral horizontal juncture of the canopy and the cockpit coaming as taken along the lines 'I-'I of Fig. 1 and as shown to a smaller scale in Fig. 2. The side skin sheet of the fuselage I0 is reinforced by an obtuse angle element Illc to which a second angle sheet IUd is fixedly attached to form a protective housing or duct about the sliding joint, being open at the top to the pressure within the cock-pit. The fixed seal element I3 is supported from the fuselage elements Ic and Ilid by the channel shaped retaining strip I3f and the angle strip I3g. The edge framing of the canopy is formed of Ithe parallel elements I 2y' and I2k to which is attached the outer marginal sheet I2f and the inner formed sheets IZm. The movable seal member I4 is attached to the sheets I2f and I2m by means of the obtuse angled retaining strips I4a and |412 of substantially the same shape as described in connection with Fig. 3. It will be noted that the seal halves I3 and I d are supported such that they each form angles of substantially 45 degrees with respect to the exterior surface, being thereforevperpendicular to each other with their inwardly extending deflected lip portions lying in a plane which is substantially normal to the outside or exterior surface.

It will accordingly be noted that a relatively tight and positive seal is provided along all the accept l irregular olle'c's o-'tl'rc sliding canopy l2, this 'seal beine *ooloroo and eamitornati-c in iftsoperation 'ln that `the oilot yn'oe'rely fmoves the canopy 'to its closed without thenecessity of -any'f-urktheir operation 'to brovioethe necessary air-tight 'joint The seal l'contact is fmade Aand broken in abutting relationship Iat the rorw'ard 4and rearward transverse Vjoints' `and K14the lateral 'or-'lower 'joints alone the cockpit coarning fare -o the slidlng' or' wipi-ng'tyoe, the latter beine always 'in contact including the opened position of the'c'an- 'opys ls flcioompli'she. -by single oontinuous seal 'attached to each Jof the xe'd and movable members, the flexibility of vthe unsupported or lip portions, of thesealfrnemlbers permitting their sini-tt or ftsarrsition reversed positions at `the lateral cuates adiaeent'tho reary tran v-erse corners. 'In the closed positionofftho canopy all adacont lip ioortions off the oiled and movable seal members are in contact, in `which one or both tol' 'tlil'e Seal members 'alle /dee'ct'ed land the higher intern-a1 `cross-ure causes them 'to be'oressed vtogether into .a

tightly sealed ioint. This .is accompllshed iivitl'rout 'the use 'of expensive extrusions, or abrecision built co'okl'l'it lconst-ruot'iori and presents no lslots or recesses to Vnali with dirt and :recul exreoucnt cleaning.

Fig. o shows :a monitored forni o'f seal in which the seal halves Aare formed or molded with a bulb or tubular nor-tion provided with :an interior openinc. this modification the hired lin'ernber ma'y be :referred to asitlre skin sheet l5 and its supportlng` .angle 'loa to whichlit `is attached by 'the bolt |517; and the moi/able iininber as 'the sheet l5 attached to the "corresponding ang-1e lea by the bolt Slob. "To'th'e cowardly @amending or 'parallel 'legs of the angles 11521 'and l'e't the seal halves yli and f8 are attachedbythe bolts `Ilio and 16e. Each of these seal halves is identical 'with the other except that they are arranged in an opposite or symmetrical manner 'and are -forin'ed -such that the lip portion 'or each extends toward that of lthe :other :in the open position. The seal half ll comprises a .nat attachment vportion 17a, an intermediate :tubular bortionfllb and a lip por tionoapefreri to a leather edge llc, 'and the half l 8 is similarly composed of the 'portions I'B, 'l 8b and we. It will accordingly be noted that as 'the `movable assembly 16 ls broughtorward for slid along the'rnarcin of the assembly t5 the tubular portions 11b and loo are deformed Vor slightly datt-ened'by their contact and the two lip portions brought into intimate and -sealing contact from the tubular portions inwardly to the 'converging feather edge.

other fonti-s 1an-'cl 'rnotlillcations oi the present invention., both with res-neet to its `general arrangement and the details of its respective parts, which .may .become apparent to vthose skilled in the art after reading the present specification are intended to be `einbramed within the scope and spirit of this invention as 'more particularly dorlcd- 'by 'the appended claims.

We claim il. A pressure seal lor -a movable .cockpit canopy 4for a pressurized 'aircraft body, comprising a flat nexible element xedly attached to the interior of salti body at the outer ina-rain of said feiern-ont such thatfits unsupported :margin extends angularly .inwardly into said body, a like 'flexible element singularly supported along its outer marrgin fromsaid movable can-opy arranged such that -it also-'extends inwardly into said body and angularly ywith respect to sai-d aired' `ileinble clero-ent wherebyfin vtl'l'ezclosecl position of said canopy 'the '6 inner"'free margins of said 'flexible elements are brought into co-extending contact 'and iles-ibly deformed to provide a pressure seal is assisted by 'the pressure differential across said joint.

2. In a pressurized yaircraft cabin lhaving an opening and 'a movable closure therefor, means for sealing "the joint between said opening and said closure comprising a flexible member inar- -glinally :att-ached to said aircraft adjacent said opening, a 'flexible member marginally attached to said closure, said flexible members being vrelatively disposed such that their freie extremities y'are voli-racted toward each other fanol toward the interior of said aircraft whereby sealing' of the .joint is accomplished by closing movement o said closure and contact of said free extremities and lthe -sad contact is assisted by thegle'ater pressure within said aircraft,

3. In a pressurized aircraft having a cabin, a cockpit opening for said cabin, and a sliding canopy iol' 'said cockpit opening, means for sealing the `joint between the marginal edges of said canopy Yand saifd cockpit opening including an elongated flexible str-ip attached to the edge of said cockpit 'opening having an unsupported marlginal edge extending angularly with respect to said vcallopy and extending inwardly with respect to said ica-bin in such manner that as said canopy moves into its closed position it 'contacts and de'- llects said free marginal edge to form a seal which is' assisted by the increased differential in pressures existing between the interior 'of the cabin and the outside atmosphere.

Ll. ASealing means for 'a sliding aircraft cockpitv canopy of the type set forth in claim 3 characterized by the 'said sealing means comprising; an attachment portion adapted to be supported from the edge of said cockpit opening; an intermediate tubular portion.; and a tapered .portion extending in an opposite direction from said tubular portion with respect to said attachment portion.; said tubular and tapered portions adapted to be contactcd by a marginal edge of said sliding' canopy in its closed position to provide a seal between the edges vof said canopy and said 'cockpit opening.

-5. In combinati-on with an aircraft having a pressurized cockpit therein, a sliding enclosure for said cockpit comprising a transversely arched section shiftalole longitudinally ba'ck and forth between the closed position wherein it ovcrfles the cockpit and forms a col'ltinuation off the vaircraft outer surface and the vope-n position in which. it is rin overlapped relation with respect to said fixed aircraft portion, means' carried by said aircraft and said cockpit enclosure adapted to permit slid-ing thereof betweenits open and closed positions, and means for sealing the adjacent marginal edges of said cockpit opening and said sliding canopy compris-ing an uelongated .ilexible strip attached to the margin of said opening being curvngly twisted as it extends from 'one marginal `edele `of said 'opening to another., and a llike flexible strip attached to the marginal edges of said 'cockpit canopy such that in its 'closed posltion. the inner deformable edges ci said exi'ble 'strips 'moet in vcofextend-infg Contact to provide a pressure seal'which is assisted by 'the pressure differential existing between the inside and outside of said aircraft.

o. In an aircraft having a cockpit opening, an arcll'edv -clo'sul'e for 'said 'opening vslidabzle longitudihally'bet'vveen open and closed positions, kand `afoa'lr -o cooperating elongated sealing elements marginal edges of said cockpit opening and said closure, respectively, said sealing elements having longitudinally extending side sections and arched, transversely-extending end sections peripherally and opposedly disposed with respect to said opening and said closure, a side section of one of said elements being yieldably engageable with and being movable lengthwise along a correspending side section of the opposed cooperating element as said closure is moved to a closed position and an arched end section of said first mentioned element being movable in a direction normal to its length to yieldably engage a correspending end section of said opposed cooperating element arranged to form a continuous seal between said closure and the marginal edges of said cockpit opening.

7. In an aircraft having a cockpit opening, an arched closure for said opening slidable longitudinally between open and closed positions, and a pair of elongated, cooperating sealing strips of exibly yieldable material attached to the marginal edges of said cockpit opening and said closure, respectively, said sealing strips having longitudinally-extending, side sections, arched, transversely-extending end sections and connecting twisted sections, said strips being marginally and opposedly disposed with respect to said opening and said closure, a side section of one of said strips being yieldably engageable and being movable lengthwise along a corresponding side section of the opposed :cooperating strip as said closure is moved to a closed position and an arched end section of said first mentioned strip being movable in a direction normal to its length to yieldably engage a corresponding end section of said opposed cooperating strip arranged to form a continuous seal between said closure and the marginal edges of said cockpit opening.

8. In an aircraft having a cockpit opening, an arched closure for said opening slidable longitudinally between open and closed positions, and a pair of cooperating, elongated sealing elements of flexible material attached to the marginal edges of said cockpit opening and said closure, respectively, said sealing elements having similarly spaced longitudinally-extending side sections and arched transversely-extending end sections peripherally and opposedly disposed with respect to said opening and said closure, the side sections of one of said elements being yieldably engageable with and movable lengthwise along the corresponding side sections of the opposed cooperating element as said closure is moved to a closed position and the arched end sections of said rst mentioned element being movable in a direction normal to their transverse disposition to yieldably engage the corresponding end sections of said opposed cooperating element arranged to form a continuous seal between said closure and the marginal edges of said cockpit opening.

9. In an aircraft having a pressurized cabin, a cockpit opening for said cabin, an arched closure for said opening slidable longitudinally between open and closed portions, and a pair of cooperating, elongated sealing strips attached to the marginal edges of said cockpit opening and said closure, respectively said strips having longitudinelly-extending, similarly spaced side sections, arched, transversely extending end sections and connecting twisted sections, said strips being peripherally and opposedly disposed with respect to said opening and said closure, the side sections ofI one ofsaid strips being engageable with and movable lengthwise along the corresponding side sections of the opposed cooperating strip aslsaid closure is moved to a closed position and the arched end sections of said iirst mentioned strip being movable in a direction normal to their length to yieldably engage the corresponding end sections of said opposed cooperatingstrip, whereby to provide a continuous uninterrupted seal which is assisted by the dierential pressure existing between the 'interior and exterior of, said cabin. n

l0. In an aircraft having a cockpit opening, an arched closure for said opening slidable longitudinally between open and closed positions, and a pair4 of cooperating, elongated sealing strips of flexible material attached to themarginal edges of said cockpit opening and said closure, respectively, said sealing strips having similarly spaced, longitudinally-extending side sections, arched, transversely-extending end sections and connecting, twisted corner sections, `said sealing strips being peripherally and opposedly disposed with respect to said opening and said closure, the` side sections of one of said strips being yieldably engageable with and movable lengthwise with respect to the corresponding side sections of the opposed cooperating strip as said closure is moved to a closed position and the arched end sections `of said iirst mentioned strip being movable in a direction normal to their length to yieldably engage the corresponding end sections of said opposed cooperating strip arranged to form a continuous seal between said closure and the .marginal edges of said cockpit opening. v

11. In an aircraft having a cockpit opening, an arched closure for said cockpit opening slidable longitudinally between open and closed positions, and cooperating, elongated, exible sealing strips attached to the marginal edges of said cockpit and said closure so that they have unsupported, angularly-extending marginal edges, said sealing strips having similarly-spaced, longitudinally-extending side sections, arched, transversely-extending end sections and connecting twisted corner sections, the unsupported edges of the side sections of one of said stripsbeing yieldably engageable with and movable lengthwise over the unsupported edges of the corresponding side sections of the cooperating strip as said closure is moved to a rclosed position and the arched end sections of said iirst mentioned strip being movable in -a direction normal to their length-so that unsupported edges thereof yieldingly engage the unsupported edges of corresponding end sections of said cooperating strip.

12. In an aircraft having a cockpit openingen arched closure for said cockpit opening slidable longitudinally between open and closed positions, and cooperating, elongated, flexible sealing strips attached to the marginal edges of said cockpit and said closure so that they have free, marginal edges, said sealing strips having similarly spaced, longitudinally-extending side sections, arched, transversely-extending end sections and.connect ing twisted corner sections, the free edges of the side sections of one of said strips being yieldably engageable with and movable lengthwise over the free edges of the corresponding side sections of the cooperating strip as said closure is moved to a closed position and the arched end sections ci said iirst mentioned strip being movable ina direction normal to their length so thatthe free edges thereof yieldably engage the free edges of corresponding end sections ofsaid cooperating strip, theA free edges ofsaid strips extending angularly with respect to one another and being engageable with one another throughout their entire length in the closed position of said closure and the free edge of one end section of one of said strips being reversed in position with respect to the free edge of the other end section.

13. In an aircraft having a pressurized cabin, a cockpit opening for said cabin, an arched closure for said cockpit opening slidable longitudinally between open and closed positions, and Cooperating, elongated, exible sealing strips attached to the marginal edges of said cockpit and said closure so that they have freemarginal edges, said sealing strips having similarly spaced, longitudinally-extending side sections, arched, transversely-extending end sections and connecting twisted corner sections, the free edges of the side sections of one of said strips being yieldably engageable with and movable lengthwise over the free edges of the corresponding side sections of the cooperating strip as said closure is moved to a closed position and the arched end sections of said rst mentioned strip being movable in a direction normal to their length so that the free edges thereof yieldably engage the free edges of corresponding end sections of said cooperating strip, the free edges of said strips extending angularly with respect to one another and being engageable with one another throughout their entire length in the closed position of said closure to provide a seal which is assisted by the differential pressure existing between the interior and exterior of said cabin and the free edge of one end section of one of said strips being reversed i0 in position with respect to the free edge of the other end section.

14. In pressurized aircraft having a movable closure for an opening in the body of the aircraft, means for sealing the adjacent marginal edges of said body opening and said movable closure including an elongated ilexible strip attached to the margin of said body opening, said strip being curvingly twisted as it extends from one marginal edge of said body opening to another, and a like ilexible strip opposedly attached to the marginal edges of said movable closure in an angular disposition with respect to said iirst strip in the 'closed position of said closure in such manner that the inner deformable edges of both said flexible strips meet in co-extending contact to provide a pressure seal which is assisted by the pressure differential existing between the inside and outside of the aircraft.

RAYMOND HARRY TEREPIN. HERBERT WILLIAM DERRICK, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,495,727 Cookingham May 27, 1924 1,646,743 Bernard Oct. 25, 1927 2,125,752 Saulnier Aug. 2, 1938 2,361,113 Lobelle Oct. 24, 1944 2,361,298 Laddon Oct. 24, 1944 

